Abstract: Provided is a polarization measuring device including a stage on which a measurement target is provided, a light source assembly configured to emit incident light, a first polarimeter configured to polarize the incident light, a second polarimeter configured to polarize reflected light reflected from the measurement target that is irradiated by the incident light, a filter assembly configured to remove noise from the reflected light, and a detector configured to receive the reflected light and measure an intensity of the reflected light and a phase of the reflected light.

Abstract: An information processing device, to be used in an image capturing device that illuminates an object by an illumination means and captures reflected light from the object as a reflection image by a capturing means, includes a determination means for determining an irradiation angle range for irradiating the object by the illumination means, on the basis of two types of inclination statistic values that are values corresponding to the inclination distribution of the unevenness existing on a surface of the object.

Abstract: In an example, a surface inspection apparatus includes a light source to illuminate a portion of a surface in a print apparatus, a light detection apparatus and processing circuitry. The light detection apparatus may receive diffusely reflected light and specularly reflected light from the portion of the surface, and may comprise a detection element for detecting the specularly reflected light. The processing circuitry may comprise a comparison module to determine a relationship between an intensity of the detected diffusely reflected light and the detected specularly reflected light and a quality module to evaluate if the surface meets a quality criterion based on the relationship.

Abstract: In various examples, information may be received for a 3D model, such as 3D geometry information, lighting information, and material information. A machine learning model may be trained to disentangle the 3D geometry information, the lighting information, and/or material information from input data to provide the information, which may be used to project geometry of the 3D model onto an image plane to generate a mapping between pixels and portions of the 3D model. Rasterization may then use the mapping to determine which pixels are covered and in what manner, by the geometry. The mapping may also be used to compute radiance for points corresponding to the one or more 3D models using light transport simulation. Disclosed approaches may be used in various applications, such as image editing, 3D model editing, synthetic data generation, and/or data set augmentation.

Abstract: A formation detection system comprising: (a) one or more sensors and (b) one or more lights that illuminate a location of interest so that the one or more sensors can monitor the location of interest; wherein one of the one or more sensors are located substantially planar with a wire of a paper machine and proximate to a slice opening so that the one of the one or more sensors is adjacent to a cut through so that the one of the one or more sensors is capable of measuring stock above the wire and removed water below the wire, and wherein the one of the one or more sensors is capable of measuring a distance between an impingement location of a stock jet and the wire from a forming board.

Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring etch or deposition processes using image-based in-situ process monitoring techniques include illuminating a measurement area on a sample disposed in a process chamber. The measurement area is illuminated using an input beam generated remote from the process chamber and transmitted to a first viewing window of the process chamber by a first optical fiber. Portions of the first input beam reflected from the measurement area are transmitted from the first viewing window to an imaging sensor by a second optical fiber. A sequence of images is obtained at the imaging sensor, and a change in reflectance of pixels within each of the images is determined. The etch or deposition process is monitored based on the change in reflectance.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method for measuring the film thickness of a semiconductor device. The measuring method includes: providing a reference spectrogram of a main storage region of a reference semiconductor device; obtaining a first measured spectrogram of a main storage region of a semiconductor device to be measured; adjusting a thickness parameter of a target film in the main storage region of the reference semiconductor device within a preset range based on the reference spectrogram, obtaining an adjusted reference spectrogram, and comparing the first measured spectrogram with the adjusted reference spectrogram; if the similarity between the first measured spectrogram and the adjusted reference spectrogram is greater than a first preset value, using the thickness parameter corresponding to the adjusted reference spectrogram as the thickness of the target film in the main storage region of the semiconductor device to be measured.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a high-precision and miniaturized on-orbit calibration device for a six-dimensional force sensor of a space station manipulator and a calibration method thereof, which include an inverted ? shape fixing bracket, three force applying devices, and a cubic stress block. Each force applying device includes a force applying head, a single axis force sensor, a force source part and a fastening part. The force source part includes an upper support plate, a second electrode plate, piezoelectric ceramic plates, a first electrode plate and a lower support plate, which are coaxially arranged sequentially from top to bottom. The single axis force sensor is mounted on the top of the upper support plate, and the hemispherical force applying head is mounted on the top of the single axis force sensor. The cubic stress block is mounted on the top of the six-dimensional force sensor.

Abstract: An overlay metrology system may scan a sample including inverted Moiré structure pairs along a scan direction, include an illumination sub-system to illuminate first and second Moiré structures of one of an inverted Moiré structure pair with common mutually coherent illumination beam distributions, and include an objective lens to capture at least +/?1 diffraction orders from sample, where a first pupil plane includes overlapping distributions of the collected light with an interference pattern associated with relative wavefront tilt. The system may also include a diffractive element in the first pupil plane, where one diffraction order associated with the first Moiré structure and one diffraction order associated with the second Moiré structure overlap at a common overlap region in a field plane, and a collection field stop located in the field plane to pass light in the common overlap region and block remaining light and remove the relative wavefront tilt.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fully integrated digital workflow for the designing and production of packaging. A designer creates a package design with a special effect ink digitally, using a computer connected to a color database and a special effect ink database. Advantageously, the present workflow minimizes the complexity of the workflow by using transparent color layers printed over plain special effect additive ink layers to develop the special effect inks to be used on press. The present workflow advantageously can also be used to assess match of polychromatic inks.

Abstract: A medical system that includes a medical device having an imaging device configured to capture images of a target site. A location of the target site is determined based on the images. The medical device includes a light source configured to direct light onto the location of the target site, and a processor and non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to move a sensor of a medical instrument toward the location of the target site based on the sensor detecting the light at the target site.

Abstract: A system (400) includes an illumination system (402), a detector (404), and a comparator (406). The illumination system includes a radiation source (408) and a spatial light modulator (410). The radiation source generates a beam of radiation (442). The spatial light modulator directs the beam toward a surface (436) of an object (428) and adjusts a spatial intensity distribution of the beam at the surface. The detector receives radiation (444) scattered at the surface and by a structure (434) near the surface. The detector generates a detection signal based on the received radiation. The comparator receives the detection signal, generates a first image based on the detection signal, and distinguishes between a spurious signal and a signal corresponding to a presence of a foreign particle on the surface based on the first image and the adjusted spatial intensity distribution.

Abstract: The invention provides a lighting device (1000) configured to generate lighting device light (1001), wherein the lighting device (1000) comprises (i) a first laser light source (10) configured to generate a beam (15) of first laser light source light (11), (ii) a speckle control element (30), and (iii) a control system (50), wherein in one or more control modes of the control system (50) the speckle control element (30) is configured in an optical path (16) of the first laser light source light (11) for providing the lighting device light (1001) comprising a speckle distribution (35) of the first laser light source light (11), wherein at a predetermined distance L from the lighting device (1000) the speckle distribution (35) has a first speckle contrast value C1 selected from the range of 3%<C1<100%, wherein the predetermined distance L is selected from the range of 0.

Abstract: A deposit detection device according to an embodiment includes a calculation module, a detection module, an interpolation module, and a state management module. The calculation module calculates a region feature amount based on an edge vector of each pixel, for each unit region composed of a predetermined number of pixels included in a captured image. The detection module detects the unit region corresponding to a partial covering location and the unit region corresponding to a diffuse reflection location based on a detection condition and a second detection condition, respectively, the first detection condition and the second detection condition being based on the region feature amount. The interpolation module interpolates the area ratio of the partial covering location reduced due to the diffuse reflection location. The state management module controls state transitions of states related to interpolation of the area ratio, based on increase and decrease of the diffuse reflection location.

Abstract: An image capturing device, configured to illuminate an object by an illumination means and capture reflected light from the object as a reflection image by a capturing means, includes an irradiation angle range determination means. The irradiation angle range determination means determines, assuming that a group of pieces of unevenness existing at the same position on the surfaces of a plurality of individuals of an object is an unevenness group, an irradiation angle range for irradiating the object by the illumination means, on the basis of a statistic value of the inclination angles of the unevenness group in which variations in the inclination angles of the unevenness between individuals is larger than other unevenness groups, among the plurality of unevenness groups.

Abstract: The present invention is suitable for optical applications with excellent transparency through a haze value of 1.5% or lower and particles that are hardly visible to the naked eye, by producing a film using particles having little difference in refractive index in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is a commonly-used polyester film, and can provide a highly transparent optical film capable of improving a winding property by forming surface roughness of 4 nm or higher.

Abstract: A fluorometer is provided for monitoring the quality of water, featuring an array of excitation sources, an array of multiple emission detectors and a signal processor. In the array of excitation sources, each excitation source provides respective excitation source optical signaling at a respective illuminating wavelength. The array of multiple emission detectors detects multiple emission wavelengths emitted from water containing information about multiple coexisting fluorescent species present in the water that emit optical radiation at at least two different wavelengths when illuminated by the respective illuminating wavelength provided from the array of excitation sources, and provide multiple emission detector signaling containing information about the multiple coexisting fluorescent species.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining optical roughness in a semiconductor pattern structure that includes receiving, using a processor, optical responses spectra collected from the semiconductor pattern structure and constructing, using the processor optical critical dimension (OCD) models by using a set of input parameters for each layer of the semiconductor pattern structure. The method further includes calculating, using the processor, theoretical optical responses from a theoretical input generated by the OCD models. In addition, the method provides for comparing, using the processor, the optical responses spectra of the semiconductor pattern structure to the theoretical optical responses to determine output parameters for the optical roughness of the semiconductor pattern structure.

Abstract: A system for calibrating a deformable sensor is provided. The system includes a deformable sensor including a housing, a deformable membrane coupled to an upper portion of the housing, and an enclosure defined by the housing and the deformable member; an imaging sensor configured to capture an image of the deformable membrane of the deformable sensor; and a controller. The enclosure is configured to be filled with a medium. The controller is configured to: receive the image of the deformable membrane of the deformable sensor; determine whether a contour of the deformable membrane in the image of the deformable membrane of the deformable sensor corresponds to a predetermined contour; and adjust a volume of the medium in the enclosure of the deformable sensor in response to the determination that the contour of the deformable membrane is different from the predetermined contour.

Abstract: Disclosed are a detection method and a detection apparatus for a polishing pad of a chemical mechanical polishing device, particularly a detection method and a detection apparatus for detecting a surface of a polishing pad dynamically. An isolation region isolated by a gas to expose the polishing pad is formed by the detecting device, and a detection is performed on the isolation region, such that the chemical mechanical polishing device is capable of detecting the polishing pad without interrupting a manufacturing process and the detection results with more accurate can be achieved. Thereby, the polishing pad can be repaired and replaced more timely.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining optical roughness in a semiconductor pattern structure that includes receiving, using a processor, optical responses spectra collected from the semiconductor pattern structure and constructing, using the processor optical critical dimension (OCD) models by using a set of input parameters for each layer of the semiconductor pattern structure. The method further includes calculating, using the processor, theoretical optical responses from a theoretical input generated by the OCD models. In addition, the method provides for comparing, using the processor, the optical responses spectra of the semiconductor pattern structure to the theoretical optical responses to determine output parameters for the optical roughness of the semiconductor pattern structure.

Abstract: The disclosed technology relates to an inspection apparatus that includes a stage configured to retain a specimen for inspection, an imaging device having a field of view encompassing at least a portion of the stage to view a specimen retained on the stage, and a plurality of lights disposed on a moveable platform. The inspection apparatus can further include a control module coupled to the imaging device, each of the lights and the moveable platform. The control module is configured to perform operations including: receiving image data from the imaging device, where the image data indicates an illumination landscape of light incident on the specimen; and automatically modifying, based on the image data, an elevation of the moveable platform or an intensity of one or more of the lights to adjust the illumination landscape. Methods and machine-readable media are also contemplated.

Abstract: The disclosed subject matter relates to methods for monitoring or controlling a manufacturing process of a material by determining when a variation in surface characteristics takes place. Such surface characteristics correlates to the processing condition of the material and can include density, roughness, porosity, or planarity on a surface of the material. The methods can include herein can include directing a solvent or energy on a surface of the material to form an at least partially modified surface, directing light at an incident angle with respect to the at least partially modified surface, measuring one or more predetermined properties of light reflected from the at least partially modified surface, determining that the material is fully processed based on the measured predetermined property of the light reflected, and optionally adjusting a processing parameter of the manufacturing process in response to the measured predetermined property.

Abstract: A method for estimating vehicle location by obtaining change events from an event camera's observations of a ground surface moving relative to the vehicle, determining a signature of the ground surface from the change events; and estimating the location using the signature. The change events may be processed to produce an 1st invariant representation of a ground surface patch for use as the signature. Alternatively, range measurements representing a patch may be used as the signature. A map is constructed having the representations of the ground surface patches including the locations of the patches. The same patch of ground surface is subsequently measured thereby obtaining a sequence of change events which are processed to produce a 2nd representation. The 2nd representation is matched to the map of 1st invariant representations. The location of the vehicle on the ground is determined based on the match.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of providing vacuum insulating glass (VIG) units each comprising at least a first and a second glass pane and a plurality of support pillars distributed between opposing surfaces of said glass panes to provide a gap (8) between the glass panes. A plurality of pane elements are provided, and individual topographic representations (TOPREP_2a-TOPREP_2n) of each of said plurality of pane elements (2a-2n) are obtained based on input (4) from a measuring arrangement (3), and the topographic representations are stored in a data storage (DS). The stored topographic representations are processed and resulting surface distance characteristic between pairs of panes are estimated. Vacuum insulating glass (VIG) assemblies are thus provided based on estimated resulting surface distance characteristics. The invention additionally relates to a system for providing manufacturing layouts and a manufacturing facility.

Abstract: A scene camera system that includes two or more mirrors that reflect light from a respective portion of a field of view (FOV) in front of the system and two or more cameras that each capture the light reflected by a respective one of the two or more mirrors. By using the mirrors to reflect the light, the cameras' entrance pupils are imaged to a location closer to a user's eyes to thus achieve a more accurate representation of the perspective of the user.

Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a central body and a plurality of landing gears that are extendable from and movable relative to the central body. The plurality of landing gears are configured to transform between a flight configuration and a surface configuration. In the flight configuration, the landing gears are extending laterally away from the central body and not in contact with a surface below the central body. In the surface configuration, the landing gears are extending towards the surface below the central body. When the landing gears are in the surface configuration, the landing gears are configured to support a weight of the central body on the surface and transport the UAV over the surface by moving one or more of the landing gears relative to the surface.

Abstract: A torsional probe for a metrology instrument includes a cantilever coupled to a support structure via a torsion bar. The cantilever, support structure, and arms of torsion bar have substantially the same thickness.

Abstract: Disclosed method of measuring a parameter relating to a structure formed using a lithographic process, and more specifically focus or line edge roughness. The method includes measuring a structure having a dimension, e.g., a critical dimension, which is sufficiently large to enable radiation diffracted by at least one edge of said structure to be (e.g., individually) optically resolved. The method comprises obtaining an intensity metric from an image of the at least one edge and determining a value for said parameter based on the intensity metric.

Abstract: A head provided to a shape measuring apparatus includes a translucent stylus head that displaces integrally with a light source and a photoreceiver, and is arranged between the light source and the photoreceiver. The stylus head includes an incident portion that causes the light from the light source to be incident on an interior of the stylus head, a reflection portion that totally reflects the incident light, and a light emission portion that emits the light that is totally reflected toward the photoreceiver. Evanescent light is generated at the measurement surface by the light that is totally reflected by the total reflection surface. The stylus head brings the measurement surface and a surface of a measurable object to face each other, separates the measurement surface from the surface of the measurable object, and is arranged such that the evanescent light reaches the surface of the measurable object.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for determining a defocussing value (?z, ?z1, ?z2) for at least one image feature in an image, wherein at least one monochromatic image of an object is generated, wherein the defocussing value (?z, ?z1, ?z2) is determined on the basis of the image and depending on the wavelength (?) of the monochromatic image, and a method and apparatus for image-based determination of a dimensional size.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus including a conditioning head having a first pressure sensor and a controller configured to adjust at least one of a position or a rotation of the conditioning pad responsive to the first pressure data. The conditioning head is adjustable between a first position and a second position, the conditioning head and a polishing pad are in contact when the conditioning head is in the second position, and the first pressure sensor generates first pressure data when the conditioning head is in the second position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a measuring apparatus having a housing in which an opening is formed, and measuring a reflection characteristic of a target region to be measured via the opening, the apparatus comprising an imaging device provided in the housing, and configured to capture an image of an imaging region via the opening, a detector configured to detect light reflected from the target region, which is a portion of the imaging region, a processor configured to obtain a reflection characteristic of the target region based on the light detected by the detecting unit, and a display unit configured to display the image of the imaging region captured by the imaging unit, wherein the image of the imaging region displayed by the display unit includes information indicating the target region.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5th-generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4th-generation (4G) system with a technology for internet of things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. In addition, a method of a terminal in a wireless communication system, includes: receiving system information including first uplink waveform information for an initial access; transmitting a radio resource control (RRC) connection request message based on the first uplink waveform information; receiving an RRC connection response message including second uplink waveform information for uplink data transmission; and transmitting data based on the second uplink waveform.

Abstract: A numerical control system of a machine tool includes an analysis device. The analysis device includes acquisition portions which acquire chronological speed control data when the work is machined and which acquire spatial machined surface measurement data after the machining of the work, a data-associating processing portion which associates the speed control data and the machined surface measurement data with each other, a machined surface failure detection portion which detects failures on the machined surface of the work, an identification portion which identifies the speed control data of failure locations corresponding to the machined surface measurement data of the failure locations, a failure interval detection portion which detects the interval of the failures and a calculation portion which calculates the frequency of vibrations based on a machining speed based on the speed control data of the failure locations and the interval of the failures.

Abstract: The method of the present invention comprises the steps of: previously obtaining correlation data between surface properties of the polishing pad dressed under a plurality of stages of dressing conditions and polishing effects of the work polished by the polishing pad dressed under the dressing conditions; determining an assumed dressing condition capable of achieving an object polishing effect from the correlation data; dressing the polishing pad under the assumed dressing condition determined; polishing the work; cleaning the polishing pad which has been used for polishing the work; and measuring a surface property of the cleaned polishing pad.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inspection device that is capable of detecting foreign matter with high accuracy, the inspection device including: a light source; an electro-optic element on which light from the light source is incident and which changes a phase of the light into at least two states; and a controller. The controller corrects a phase fluctuation of the electro-optic element itself, using intensity modulation characteristics of the eletro-optic element which are obtained by changing an applied voltage that is input to the electro-optic element.

Abstract: A method of determining a physical characteristic of an adhesive material on a semiconductor device element using structured light is provided. The method includes the steps of: (1) applying a structured light pattern to an adhesive material on a semiconductor device element; (2) creating an image of the structured light pattern using a camera; and (3) analyzing the image of the structured light pattern to determine a physical characteristic of the adhesive material. Additional methods and systems for determining physical characteristics of semiconductor devices and elements using structured light are also provided.

Abstract: Techniques for fabricating a semiconductor chip having a curved surface include placing a substantially flat photonic sensor chip on a recessed surface of a mold such that an active region of the photonic sensor chip at least partially covers a concave central region of the mold and an inactive region of the photonic sensor chip at least partially covers a convex peripheral region of the mold. The mold has a radially varying curvature and the recessed surface includes the concave central region and the convex peripheral region concentrically surrounding the concave central region. Pressure may be applied on the photonic sensor chip to press and bend the photonic sensor chip into the mold.

Abstract: An electronic wafer inspecting method includes: rotating the wavelength transparent wafer, emitting, from a light source coupled with an interferometric device, two light beams, to form, a measurement volume and having a variable inter-fringe distance within the volume, a time signature of a defect intersecting the measurement volume depending on an inter-fringe distance where the defect intersects the volume, the device and the wafer arranged so that the measurement volume extends into a wafer region, collecting the light scattered by the wafer region, emitting a signal representing the variation in the intensity of the collected light per time, detecting in the signal, a frequency of the intensity, the frequency being the time of the passage of a defect through the measurement volume, determining, based on the value of the inter-fringe distance at the location where the defect passes, the position of the defect.

Abstract: A washing system that can reliably remove chips attached to the surface of a jig on which a workpiece is placed. The washing system includes a nozzle, a manipulator for moving the nozzle, an imaging part for capturing an image of a region on which a workpiece is placed, a chip detecting part for detecting a chip in the region based on the image captured by the imaging part, a arrangement determining part for determining a position and posture of the nozzle when the fluid is sprayed to the chip, a manipulator controlling part for controlling the manipulator so that the nozzle is located at the determined position and posture, and a fluid supplying part for injecting, through the nozzle, the fluid that has been supplied to the nozzle.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is directed to a system that comprises one or more processors and a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors. Herein, the memory including logic that, upon executing by the one or more processors and in response to receiving information that uniquely identifies a vehicle, automatically generating a plurality of images of the vehicle. A vehicle identification number (VIN) may be used as the information that uniquely identifies a vehicle and causes automatic generation of the interior and exterior images for that specific vehicle.

Abstract: A wafer polishing system including a platen configured to rotate in a first direction, and a polishing head configured to hold a wafer, the polishing head configured to rotate in a second direction. The wafer polishing system further includes an optical sensing system configured to detect a thickness of the wafer at a first location on the platen and a second location on the platen. A first distance from a center of the platen to the first location is different than a second distance from the center of the platen to the second location.

Abstract: Techniques for fabricating a semiconductor chip having a curved surface include placing a substantially flat photonic sensor chip on a recessed surface of a mold such that an active region of the photonic sensor chip at least partially covers a concave central region of the mold and an inactive region of the photonic sensor chip at least partially covers a convex peripheral region of the mold. The mold has a radially varying curvature and the recessed surface includes the concave central region and the convex peripheral region concentrically surrounding the concave central region. Pressure may be applied on the photonic sensor chip to press and bend the photonic sensor chip into the mold.

Abstract: A shape measuring device includes: a predetermined pattern; an image pick-up section that captures reflected images of the predetermined pattern on the front face and back face of a transparent measurement object; a calculating section that calculates an inclination angle of at least the front face or the back face from the reflected images; and a determining section that determines a shape of at least the front face or the back face. The predetermined pattern includes a plurality of elements, and one end and the other end of each element of the plurality of elements, which are formed in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction, are deviated from each other in the extension direction.

Abstract: Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for submicron alignment in wafer optics. One disclosed method of alignment between wafers to produce an integrated lens stack employs a beam splitter (that is, a 50% transparent mirror) that reflects the alignment mark of the top wafer when the microscope objective is focused on the alignment mark of the bottom wafer. Another disclosed method of alignment between wafers to produce an integrated lens stack implements complementary patterns that can produce a Moiré effect when misaligned in order to aid in visually determining proper alignment between the wafers. In some embodiments, the methods can be combined to increase precision.

Abstract: A system for measuring heights of multiple structures of an object, the system may include an illumination module that is configured to illuminate the object by a light strip that is spatially incoherent; multiple cameras; a collection module that is configured to collect light that is reflected from the object and to distribute the light to the multiple cameras; wherein the collection module has an elongated field of view that has a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the light strip; wherein the multiple cameras are configured to generate, during a height measurement process, detection signals indicative of heights of the multiple structures; a mechanical stage for introducing a movement, during the height measurement process, between the object and each one of the illumination module and the collection module; and a processor that is configured to process the detection signals to determine the heights of the multiple structures.

Abstract: A first aspect of the invention provides an apparatus to indicate an amplitude of an uneven measurement surface. The apparatus may include a frame slidingly supporting a set of pins, each pin including a high point stop and a low point stop; a low point isolator member moveable relative to the frame, the low point isolator member indicating a lowest point of the uneven measurement surface by a respective low point stop of a first; a high point isolator member moveable relative to the frame, the high point isolator member indicating a highest point of the uneven measurement surface by a respective high point stop of a second pin; a low point displacement sensor for identifying a low point displacement; a high point displacement sensor for identifying a high point displacement; and a calculator for calculating a difference between the low point displacement and the high point displacement.

Abstract: A conditioning method which can efficiently produce surface roughness of a polishing pad to obtain an optimum polishing rate by performing dressing while monitoring the surface roughness of the polishing pad and adjusting a temperature of the polishing pad is disclosed. The conditioning method includes measuring surface roughness of the polishing pad during dressing of the polishing pad, comparing the measured surface roughness with preset target surface roughness to obtain comparison result, and adjusting a surface temperature of the polishing pad by heating or cooling the polishing pad based on the comparison result. The surface roughness is represented by at least one of five indexes comprising arithmetical mean deviation of the roughness profile (Ra), root mean square deviation of the roughness profile (Rq), maximum profile valley depth of the roughness profile (Rv), maximum profile peak height of the roughness profile (Rp), and maximum height of the roughness profile (Rz).

Abstract: Wafer processing apparatuses and methods of operating the same are provided herein. In an embodiment, a wafer processing apparatus includes a rotatable platen that has the capacity to support a polishing pad on a pad mounting surface of the rotatable platen. A drive assembly is coupled to the rotatable platen and has the capacity to rotate the rotatable platen. A polishing head is coupled to a head actuator. The polishing head is disposed adjacent to and over a first portion of the pad mounting surface and the polishing head is movable relative to the pad mounting surface by the head actuator. An optical sensor has a vision field including a second portion of the pad mounting surface. The first portion and the second portion of the pad mounting surface are at least partially offset. A control unit is operatively connected to the drive assembly and the head actuator.